Do you buy games to play or put on your shelf?

[emporerdragon]

All games I buy are with the intention to play...eventually. The problem is that the backlog is in the triple digits, so that eventually is very far off unless it's one of those games that go right to the front of the queue.

[marvelvscapcom2]

Some of the folks here have upwards of 1,000 games, sometimes more.  With such massive libraries, you could play 3 different games a day and not play them all in a year.  Eventually it becomes hard to keep up and it becomes a curated library to organize and keep your favorite beloved games throughout time but to actually play them, i'm not sure any of us realistically play them all



I do only buy games that catch my eye or that I think will be fun to play though like others have said, that's very important, but my back log is really big because I always end up getting caught in a plot of 1 game and take a few weeks or months to enjoy it before moving on.  But I buy more games then I realistically can play.  . 

[justin8301]

I buy games that I would like to play, fully knowing that I probably won't get around to it. I used to just buy what ever I could get my hands on, but I've been trying to trim the fat a bit lately.

[hoshichiri]

I know gaming isn't an investment, but there are much more foolish things to spend money on honestly. I know people who blow through money on alcohol, weed, restaurants, TV cable bills and car payments and think it's justified but raise eyebrows and think people who buy games to keep them sealed are idiots.

Agreed- buy cigarettes, which results in your literally burning away your money? Normal. Expensive name brand clothing that you'll wear for six months, then give away becuase it's out of fashion? Normal. Hundreds of dollars on cologne, makeup, booze- things you will use up and not have anymore? All normal. But collect games that don't get used up, and can gain hold/gain value in some cases? Well if you're not actively playing all of them, you're a weirdo.

Anyway- I buy with the intent to play and the knowledge that many of the games I own will not actually be played, at least by me. I'm fine with letting other people be the ones who get the use out of my games if they'd like. As for why I buy them? They're cheap. Most of what I buy are used games on the cheap. I've been buying a fair number of wii/wii u/Xbox 360/ps3 titles lately, becuase they're cheap. The rare times I shell out for new games, I usually play at least a good chunk of them right away- except for Limited Run Games, I pick those up when they're available becuase it's all but guaranteed they'll cost more later. Meaning I either get a deal or a flip out of it.

[burningdoom]

Wow, this is a reverse. I'm normally the guy buying to play, rather than collect, and usually in collecting groups it's me getting grief for posting a cartridge only find because it's not complete or in pristine shape or something. I do not see collectors being called weidos for having a shelf stuffed full of games.

[spac316]

To play. But With the overwhelming amount I have, that is something I have difficulty with. haha...

[oldgamerz]

Both.

I don't believe you played that copy of PGA Tour Golf on Genesis.

well I did in fact but it was just not his copy

anyway I have a ton of games in boxes some on a shelf, I do have a huge backlog I just don't know what to get into at the moment I have over 1007 games some of them I haven't even added to my collection on VGCollect.

[chrismb]

Only games that I want to play.
When I look at gamers collections I prefer to see a collection of games they want to play because I feel like you can see their personality trough what they play, so I feel like if I bought games just to buy them my collection would kinda loose it's identity in a way. No disrespect towards collectors who buy everything tho

[sworddude]

Only games that I want to play.
When I look at gamers collections I prefer to see a collection of games they want to play because I feel like you can see their personality trough what they play, so I feel like if I bought games just to buy them my collection would kinda loose it's identity in a way. No disrespect towards collectors who buy everything tho

To be fair people who buy everything even than you can see their personality, gaming wise maybe not but in other terms of personalities I'd say yes.

In terms of collecting people come in different flavours even when buying everything.

Some do it to keep it cheap, some people are completionist for multiple sets not to mention if the condition is anything goes or cib in excellent shape. Is the stuff neat and organized or not etc etc

[ferraroso]

Due to my lack of time in recent years, I believe I buy games for two main reasons:
1 - To put them on the shelf.
2 - To sustain my hope of playing them someday...

[cirno]

Tbh, no ill will towards folks who don't intend on playing stuff, but personally I'd be pretty depressing to me to not be able to play hundreds of games I own. Having so much to experience but never POSSIBLY having the time to do it all...

I like to keep a flow of buying a few games, playing them all, then buying new games when I start to itch for something new to play. That way, nothing ends up unplayed, and it'll build up a nice backlog of "I finished this game, but it wouldn't hurt to revisit it" rather than loads of unfinished games staring me in the face.

Idk, maybe it's because I'm really a big kid at heart, but the idea of having hundreds of games to play any time I feel like it seems much more appealing than simply having a random assortment of games, just because they exist.

[shadowzero]

Both as well. I admit that golf game may have only been played once, but I did it! 

[doafan]

To play it cause I don't own a shelf, 75% of my games and consoles are stored in shoe boxes 

[hoshichiri]

Wow, this is a reverse. I'm normally the guy buying to play, rather than collect, and usually in collecting groups it's me getting grief for posting a cartridge only find because it's not complete or in pristine shape or something. I do not see collectors being called weidos for having a shelf stuffed full of games.

Bah- pristine collecting is overrated. It costs more, and games with minor flaws have more character (not to mention would be easier to identify in case of theft.) Forgoing cases & boxes means they take up less room, too.

I only bother with complete titles for disc-based games. The logic being, I'll need a case to store the disc in anyway, might as well be the original.

[telly]

I have always been buy to play. Personally I don't like having a lot of games that I haven't played yet. Which is why, among other things, I only buy a game or two at a time. Keeps the interest in the hobby lasting and sustainable for me.